Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Power is still off. Electric company has taped off our driveway...no in..no out.

Around the neighborhood

We have made the best of the situation. We are alive and well. Still no power, yet my home is intact.

I was able to knit a scarf by the woodstove, until nightfall. While in the dark, by candlelight, I learned how to get beat at chess in 3 short moves! Funny, when I asked my daughter where she learned to play chess like that, she told me it was I who taught her to play.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Swirling to the ground on their final journey...happy to have given joy and smiles for many photographic opportunities that bring people to the region. Autumn in all of its glory!

As we batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst, we savor the memory of a beautiful, colorful Autumn season in the Northeast. Last year on this day, we had a freak snowstorm that took down power lines that left us in the dark for a couple days.

This year, we had the best fall time ever, with a peak performance of color. The rains did not destroy all the beauty, and the temperatures were very accommodating for many outdoor peeping events.

Today the winds are howling, the rains are coming, and the last of the leaves on the trees will make their final journey, sailing and singing in the wind. Hopefully the trees will stand firm and hold their ground.

Yes, Autumn in New York is truly a beautiful sight! Even as it meets a terrible storm for its end.

Friday, October 19, 2012

I wish that I could bottle up this view from yesterday...my only full day off in a very long time. And the temperature was in the 60's...just right! This is the stuff that rendezvous are made of; picturesque and captivating. Leaf peepers will surely enjoy the beauty of the season this year. At full peak, the colors of the many different species of trees that are home in the northeast will provide inspiration for all types of art projects...not just photography. For I have chosen the colors here to use on my next mini altered book/scrapbook. With papers and paints and even a honey gold colored yarn, this little book will be transformed into a journal worthy of an Autumn Adventure in New York.

Perhaps that Autumn Adventure can be taken by train, or maybe by boat on the Hudson River! If you are in CT, there is the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat Cruise that is near and dear to my heart. For 25 years ago this beautiful month, we took over the newly renovated parlor car on the train and the top deck of the riverboat for our family and friends who came to town for our wedding 'neath the cover of October skies. A most memorable time for all. Oh to live in the Northeast, where the seasons offer a unique tale from within, where the natural beauty is abundantly clear.... Get out there and enjoy the beauty of your season...and LIVE IT UP! TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE!!!

The smudge bowl is from the beautiful clay at Two Crow Cottage and the smudge stick is made from the lavender gardens that surround the property there. Lavender is a calming agent used to reduce stress and promote relaxation. The ritual of smudging can be defined as "spiritual house cleaning". In
theory, the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as the smoke
clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another
space where it will be regenerated into positive energy.

As the autumn leaves continue to fall, we must take the time and notice all the beauty that this season brings. The bright colors of the mums, the scarecrows popping up out of the cornfields with the brightly colored ears for decorating. The gourds have such a unique style all their own with colors and shapes of all sizes. And don't forget the pumpkins...for soon they will be transformed into jack-o-lanterns with unique personalities all their own. Yes, let us rejoice in all the beauty of this colorful, bountiful season.